Wolseley UK: Rapid Transformation with HaloITSM
How a leading UK merchant streamlined support and launched enterprise-wide ITSM in under 10 weeks
Introduction
Wolseley is one of the UK’s leading specialist merchants in plumbing, heating, cooling, and infrastructure. The company operates around 600 branches and employs over 5000 people. Wolseley’s brands, including Plumb Center, Climate Center, and Pipe Center, support a broad customer base ranging from tradespeople to large-scale contractors.
The Challenge
Wolseley had been operating under a global ServiceNow instance inherited from its former parent company, Ferguson. Following a demerger, the team needed a new ITSM platform that better suited their UK-scale operations. ServiceNow's global setup had become slow and costly, with even small changes requiring third-party intervention and taking weeks or months. There was also a lack of local admin flexibility.
With just 10 weeks to implement a new system, they needed a fast, scalable, and flexible solution that could support around 250 agents across departments. The solution also needed to include chatbot capabilities for seamless support.
"It would take days, weeks, months sometimes to do a simple form change on self-service. It was really holding us back..."— James Crotty, Service Desk Manager
The Solution
After a competitive RFP process, HaloITSM was selected for its clean UI, modular design, and no-code/low-code customisation. Despite the tight timeline, the rollout was completed two weeks early. The team launched with a fully redesigned self-service portal, including approval workflows, automation, live chat, and chatbot from day one. Live chat enabled frontline staff to get support without leaving customers, boosting adoption by 15%. The unified experience meant no extra links or tools—everything was in one place. Departments such as Finance, HR, and Distribution Centres have since adopted Halo as well, thanks to the consistent UI and admin model.
"Implementation was, dare I say, really easy. It was not like other stuff we’ve done. Halo was almost straight out of the box."— James Crotty, Service Desk Manager
The IT team gained full administrative control, enabling faster updates and ownership. The self-service portal drove adoption, and live chat allowed staff to multitask while serving customers. Shared governance enabled smooth adoption in non-IT teams, and standardised reporting helped track performance across business units.
The Results
HaloITSM transformed Wolseley’s support operations across IT and other departments. With faster internal updates, improved visibility, and a streamlined portal, the platform continues to deliver tangible value.
Some key improvements include:
- Implementation completed 2 weeks ahead of deadline
- Full admin control enabled faster changes and lower cost of ownership
- 15% growth in live chat usage since launch
- Consistent CSAT scores of ~95% across support channels
- Enterprise-wide rollout with adoption by HR, Finance, and Distribution Centres
- Unified portal and reporting enabled standardised service delivery across teams
With a strong foundation and a growing relationship with Halo, Wolseley is exploring AI features like predictive ticketing and virtual agents. The IT team continues to champion internal adoption and collaborate with Halo to innovate based on real business needs.